Technical Field
The present invention relates to a door handle having a configuration of guiding light in a predetermined direction by a light guide and irradiating the light toward the outside.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-229797
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-133133
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-522661
Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-282204
Related Art
There is a door handle which is configured such that the light emitted from a light source is irradiated in a predetermined direction (e.g., see Patent Documents 1 to 4).
Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a technique of illuminating a space under feet by an illumination unit incorporated in a door handle when a door is opened and closed. As the space under feet is illuminated, it is possible to grasp the presence of puddles or the like when the door is opened and closed, thereby improving the convenience of occupants.
Patent Documents 3 and 4 also disclose a technique regarding an illumination unit (illumination device) incorporated in a door handle. In the door handle disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4, light is irradiated from a light source of the illumination unit toward a concave portion (i.e., the portion called a handle cup) of a door panel located on the inside of the door handle, thereby illuminating the handle cup. The portion of the illumination unit, on which the light source is disposed, protrudes from a case of the door handle to the handle cup side or is located on an end portion on the handle cup side.
As the handle cup is illuminated, the visibility of the door handle and its surroundings is enhanced when a door is opened and closed, thereby improving the convenience of occupants.
By the way, in the door handle disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4, the portion of the illumination unit, on which the light source is disposed, protrudes from the case of the door handle to the handle cup side or is located on the end portion on the handle cup side. Accordingly, the light emitting portion enters the field of view of a vehicle driver or a pedestrian when seeing the door handle, and thus, there is a possibility that the light irradiated from the light source becomes dazzling light.